My family and I had long wanted to visit Mariupol—we have some relatives there. It became extremely complicated to get there, however, due to armed hostilities. Our countries are at war, and al travel is off. Just recently, in 2012, Prokofiev International Airport in Donetsk (DOK) opened a new 7-story terminal. In the course of latest clashes, it became one of the hotspots. A lot of people were killed there on both sides—it is very unlikely that anybody could make a precise toll. Drone footage of the place is terrifying, I can hardly believe that this is real. Me approaching this through painting is like pinching myself, trying to make sure that this is not a dream. So I painted the landscape that stunned me, recreating each and every detail to actually believe in the reality of what was happening.

Pavel Otdelnov. No flights today. 2015, oil on canvas, 160x230. Private collection